Posted - 2008.03.07 16:26:00All registered users should now have an option on their home page to turn on the new "Flash" version of the site.

WARNING

It's not 100% reliable, tested code as yet. It might go wrong and you might lose a really good solving time.

NEW FEATURES

The main new feature on the flash version is you get an on-screen clock ticking away while you solve.

In theory, there's also code in place to handle "site down" situations, where kwontomloop.com goes offline. If you're trying to submit your solution to a puzzle and the site is unavailable, you should get a "retry?" prompt instead of the dreaded error page.

Not really a feature as such, but if you regularly encounter the infamous invisible gif problem when dragging your mouse on a puzzle, that won't happen with this version.

More features are planned for the future...

LIMITATIONS

There's no easy way to handle right-clicks in Flash. By default, the Flash menu appears on-screen when you right-click. So if you rely on right-click for placing crosses on the puzzle, you'll need to switch to one of the other two methods of doing so - either double-clicking or shift-clicking.

User puzzles still use the old Javascript method, but will be ported over soon hopefully.

BUGS

Post them here as you find them... there's bound to be some!

TilpsKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 4657Best Total: 20m 22s

Posted - 2008.03.07 21:52:55Just noticed that the flash version uses 'closest edge' rather than a fixed edge click area like the javascript version does.

My personal experience is I prefer closest edge, and it makes my times faster. (Although without right-click I don't think I can bring myself to switch away from the javascript version.) The fact that it makes some peoples times faster might be a point of contention in more competitive circles, or maybe not. Just thought I would mention it.

JeanKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 2045Best Total: 20m 50s

Posted - 2008.03.08 00:38:59Feels pretty easy to use, although pressing the 'shift' key does take some time, and I assume double-clicking would too. For those who don't use crosses it would be okay, I guess

jasonharperKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 1349Best Total: 25m 18s

Posted - 2008.03.08 00:56:30Looks (and works) good!

Is it intentional that clicking Done no longer forces a Fix Position? I botched the last FP on today's puzzle (didn't realize that I'd split the loop into two), and didn't notice until I'd clicked Done. On the old JS version, I probably would have had to reset the puzzle to get out of this mess, but with the Flash version, I was still able to use Reset To Fixed. That's about an 8 minute difference in my total times for this week...

NisKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 1989Best Total: 22m 1s

Posted - 2008.03.08 09:44:57A long time feature wish: Make it possible to solve the Wrong at any time, once you've completed a puzzle, not only right after solving the main puzzle. (apologies if this is already possible. I cannot find the way.

Otherwise great work. Pity about the right button not working - but shift will get you there of course.

And as others have posted, not having Done -> Unfix can save a lot of time at times

foilmanKwon-Tom AdminPuzzles: 1726Best Total: 24m 8s

Posted - 2008.03.08 11:02:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonharper

Is it intentional that clicking Done no longer forces a Fix Position?

Yes - as the page doesn't have to be completely reloaded in order to check your solution, it's possible to leave things as they are, so you can keep your fixed lines and crosses! It's a bit of bonus.

On the subject of "closest edge" click detection - it's true as long as you don't have shading on. Once that's on, clicking nearer the centre of the square changes the colour instead.

Which reminds me, the requested feature of saving shading is in this version - if you shade some squares, turn off shading and turn it on again, the shaded squares reappear. If you have shading on when you save, the shading is saved too - as long as you still have it enabled when you load again.

foilmanKwon-Tom AdminPuzzles: 1726Best Total: 24m 8s

Posted - 2008.03.08 14:42:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by nis

A long time feature wish: Make it possible to solve the Wrong at any time, once you've completed a puzzle, not only right after solving the main puzzle.

Ok, this is done! If you attempt an old (not in the current week) puzzle and you've solved the puzzle before, you'll have a button to go immediately to the wrong.

blivrailKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 559Best Total: 19m 12s

Posted - 2008.03.08 21:23:09Since it is time to improve ways to the interface the puzzle, might I add a suggestion:

Is it possible to hold down a left-click and drag to add multiple lines?puzzle-loop.com allows this functionality. Likewise, the ability to add multiple Xs when holding shift button in the same manner.

Thanks.

foilmanKwon-Tom AdminPuzzles: 1726Best Total: 24m 8s

Posted - 2008.03.08 21:25:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by blivrail

Is it possible to hold down a left-click and drag to add multiple lines?

This should certainly be possible now, in fact I imagine it's not too hard to do... so expect it to happen soon!

NisKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 1989Best Total: 22m 1s

Posted - 2008.03.09 10:28:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by foilman

Ok, this is done! If you attempt an old (not in the current week) puzzle and you've solved the puzzle before, you'll have a button to go immediately to the wrong.

Why not for the current week?

foilmanKwon-Tom AdminPuzzles: 1726Best Total: 24m 8s

Posted - 2008.03.09 10:43:04While puzzles are still part of the weekly challenge I don't like to have any easy way to get immediately to the solution. Maybe it's a bit crazy, as obviously you have to have solved it first anyway, but I'm always aware there are people around who are trying to cheat in various sneaky ways!

procrastinatorKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 1083Best Total: 12m 56s

Posted - 2008.03.09 12:11:10Sexy!

It is _way_ faster, though, I reckon the next really easy puzzle will take about 35 seconds. Shame we will lose a bit of historical continuity.

Posted - 2008.03.09 12:11:59Thanks very much for all new features foilman.

I am not sure, but I think I found a bug. I messed today's puzzle up without using flash, so I thought, I might as well reset and try the flash version. It turned out that my time was reset. Still it costed almost a quarter of an hour... But my real time was about 20 minutes.

foilmanKwon-Tom AdminPuzzles: 1726Best Total: 24m 8s

Posted - 2008.03.09 12:27:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by chairman

I am not sure, but I think I found a bug. I messed today's puzzle up without using flash, so I thought, I might as well reset and try the flash version. It turned out that my time was reset. Still it costed almost a quarter of an hour... But my real time was about 20 minutes.

Thanks for spotting that - I think it was a bug... and I think it's fixed now. I hadn't thought of that scenario!!

foilmanKwon-Tom AdminPuzzles: 1726Best Total: 24m 8s

Posted - 2008.03.09 17:49:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by blivrail

Is it possible to hold down a left-click and drag to add multiple lines?puzzle-loop.com allows this functionality. Likewise, the ability to add multiple Xs when holding shift button in the same manner.

Ok, this functionality is now in! Whatever it is you're placing when you click, if you hold the mouse down and drag it you'll continue placing it wherever you go - it works for lines, crosses, spaces, and square shading if you have that turned on.

This is going to mean some seriously fast times, I suspect...! While I was testing the shading I found it very easy to fill in large areas quickly, and as for lines it's very easy to just wiggle the mouse to put all the lines around a 3 in one go, for example.

BrianKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 3573Best Total: 9m 6s

Posted - 2008.03.10 00:56:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by foilman

This is going to mean some seriously fast times, I suspect...!

Oh my goodness, yes. I predict we'll break the champions' total before April.

DarkladyKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 4008Best Total: 9m 37s

Posted - 2008.03.10 01:42:50This also makes it reasonable to use a tablet instead of a mouse - I think the tablet feels a lot better for this sort of task. Thanks, foilman!

Last edited by Darklady - 2008.03.10 01:43:38

PuzzleScotKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 2154Best Total: 19m 5s

Posted - 2008.03.10 11:37:02Wow - that's cool, though it's gonna take a while to get used to..

Pity about the right-click not being functional any more

Another bug notification - on 'reset to fixed' (which I use a lot!), only the lines are reset - the shading is not. Can that be fixed?

CheersAlan (Borderline Osessive)

ObNote: Where are the 'obsessiveness' levels set?

foilmanKwon-Tom AdminPuzzles: 1726Best Total: 24m 8s

Posted - 2008.03.10 11:47:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by puzzlescot

Pity about the right-click not being functional any more

I know... there are various "hacks" and workarounds out there to get right-clicks working in Flash but I'm not happy with any of them, and the new dragging functionality makes it almost impossible I think (for now).

Quote:

Originally Posted by puzzlescot

Another bug notification - on 'reset to fixed' (which I use a lot!), only the lines are reset - the shading is not. Can that be fixed?

Ah, I completely forgot about that bit, thanks! It'll take a day or two, but is easy enough to fix.

Quote:

Originally Posted by puzzlescot

ObNote: Where are the 'obsessiveness' levels set?

You become an obsessive when you've solved 500 of the current weekly challenge puzzles... so that's nearly a year and a half of solving in total...

tobiwanKwon-Tom ObsessivePuzzles: 4192Best Total: 17m 31s

Posted - 2008.03.10 13:06:52Looks wicked!

Thanks foilman. Most appreciated.

Can't wait to try it out on the weekend puzzles. I'll need to wait until I'm not likely to be disturbed though